Knife



J. A. WILSON May 14, 1935.

KNIFE Filed June 13, 1952 V/Il/IIl/AVA al 0 o 75 595.9 2 6 /7 j 51,12 i 7 n .m V7 um" 6 nu n@ L Z//O 1 nzz insure the free removal of the device from the Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES `2,001,232 KNIFE' John Allison Wilson,` South Application Julien-1932, serial No. 616,859

I 5 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in slaughtering devices and methods in which the animal is to be killed by severing the two arteries that cross near the larynx, with a knife having a vhollow stem and drawing the blood through the stem by vacuum means and the primary object of .the invention is to provide an improved knife for severing the arteries of the animal -being killed. First, by providing a hollow handle, composed of two tubes, forming a slidably extendable hollow stem, entirely free from obstructions, through which the blood is to be drawn by the aid of a vacuum.

Second, by `providing means toautomatically and simultaneouslyoperate all parts of the device .in order that no time shall elapse between the .time of the thrust of the blade and the action of the vacuum. j

Third, to provide means for shearing any portion -of meat or other substance that may be drawn between any two parts by the action of the vacuum during the time of bleeding vso as to wound.

Fourth, to provide means for vthe operation of all movable parts by a mechanical forcein conltradistinction to the inhumane method of thrustingthe blade of a knifeinto thethroat of an animal by the hand of the operator.

Fifth, to provide a metal case capablev of housing all movable parts when they are not in luse and to Vconne uid pressure to be applied toa piston. 1

Sixth, to provide m-eans for disassembling the device for cleaning.

Other objectscf the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the drawing forming-apart of this specification inwhiCh drawing: f

Figure 1 is a longitudinalY section ofthe device showing the blade and the upper ,portion :of the movable part of the slidablyextendable hollow .stem thrust from the case, in the-.position assumed after the blade has severed the arteries rin 'the throat of an animal, the blood being drawn from the wound by a Vacuum; Figure 2 is a 'cross-section taken along the fline'Z-Z of Figure jl;` j

vFigure 3 represents an enlarged fragmentary viewof a portion'of the structure shown in Fig.

1', 'and shows ,one of the dogs in its Vextreme upf ward position; Figure 4 is alongitudinal-sectionalview .0f the device, ,showing the blade .and the. movable part (Cl. -17 1) l y of the'slidably extendable hollow stem drawn iwithinthebase; l .Y

Figure 5 is a cross-section vtaken along the line .5 5 of Figure 4; u l y Figure 6 is a side-view of the upper portion of 5 the device shown inFigure 1; and u Figure .'l is an `enlargedfragmentary section along the line r'l--l of Figure v6.- l n .Referring to the-.drawing in detail wherein similar reference Icl'laracters indicatecorrespondl0 ing parts throughout the several views:

The blade 4I may-be of any desiredconflguration and as shown is in the shape of an arrow head, sharp'at-'both edges and of a width .designed .to cut a hole inthe fiesh of the vanimal l5 only Vlarge enough to permitthe .stem @to Ifollow the blade I into the wound. The blade VI maybe fastened into the v stem .9..in any .substantial mannen I, have securely. fastened it intoaJ slot formed in the middle of a .cone 2-which is 20 threadedly mounted to the upperendof .stem 9 .by means of. threads 3. Inlthe wall of .stem 9, ldirectly* :below the .end thereof, there are `two op.- positely disposed longitudinally extending slots 6 4which lpermit the entrance of `the blood into the 25 stem and form'recessesf-intowhich'the links 5, the leaves 'I and the `projections 32 yof the leaves .'I are drawn, .to preventthem from catching against the .upper end of the case,y while the movable parte .is being returned to the case, after the 30 animalhas been bled. Links 5 and leaves l form means for spreadingthe wound made by the blade l and to hold the device from displacement. The links 25 are pivotally connected yas at lZlhito the wall of the stem 9, the leaves l are .pivotally 35 'connected as at 29 tothe upper ends of the rods .8, links andleaves 1 of each pair arefhingedly connected together as at 30 and the'lower ends of .rods 8 are ,pivotally connected to the dogs I3 which Vare designed 'to rotate and move the rods 40 `8 upward'or downward; .forming means for oper'- ating the leaves and, links. The leaf 1 of each pair hasv a relatively narrower portion '32 .which .extends .from a Vpoint near the middle-of the leaf to-rthef-outer extremity. 4.5 rIfhe leaf is pivoted by means of the reduced portion,` near the rmiddlefto the link 5,` which'- is slotted at f3! so as to forma fork to receive the leaf 1 when the leaf land the link lie' in a straight 50 line. When the rods 18 are moved upwardly as in Figureul, the leaves and links will jswingoutwardly, opening the slots 6, spreading the wound y made the `']ol ac le, rclearingthe lslots -6. Yallowing the bloodto'flow, unobstructed,into the slidably 55 vided with'sharp,".scissorslike "edges,` being so I designed for the purpose of shearing any portion of meat or other substance that may be drawnr between the links and leaves 1.and the stem,9

adjacent the slots 6 or between the projections ,L 26m the position shown in Figure l, and the air Athen rushes throughport 23 into the case I8, ex-

32 and the slots 3 I, during the action or the vacuum. The process of shearing is illustrated by Figure '1 and is 'accomplished' asfollows edges* E and E, on the inner sides of links 5 and leaves`1 shear against edges Fand F, on the outside of slots-6, in stem -9, edges H-and H, on'the inner sides of projections 32,'shear against `edges kK and K, onthe youtside of'slotsSI in linksf5. Coacting sides of the slots Ii and 3| `vand the ledges of the links-and leaves 5 and 1 areinclined in the same direction to prevent binding. `At the base of cone Zandl made'a part of the cone, I have vformed a valve 4,- designed'to fit'into a Avalve seat 28 formed'within theupper end of the stationary part 20 ofthe slidably extendable hollow stem; ,Whenthefvalve 4is lifted from the valve seat 28, "the'links 5- and lleaves 1 vare forced out of the slots6, andtheprojections`32 penetrate'the walls of the wound; thebladelhaving severed the arteries. Thenblood will be drawn bythe action'of theva'cu'um, through slots and the-slidably extendable-hollow stem, to a hose 39 connected by vmeans ofthe threads `25to1the bottom annular member34jtowhch the tube 20 is threadedly fastened; as at 35. "f TheV case-is designed-to house allof the'part's thatare associated with thev movable part' of the'extendable stem,when the apparatus isI not in use.- The case also acts as ajcylinder' f 'or conning compressed air or `othermotive"powerg The upper portion of case I 8 is made smaller'than the lower ,portion and a rounded, thickened'edge-oncollar |0 formed around the topsoy designed 'to t against the flesh of the animalto prevent leakage of bloodaround the stem 9v; The inside of the upper portion of the case I3 is made smooth `and^true, designed to slidably lit around V'the upperportion of the movable part 9 of the slidably extendable hollow stem. The inside of the greater portion of the case I8 is Amade smooth and true, designed-to slidably t around the portion 31' of the :extensible part 9- of the stem,whicl1con' stitutes a'piston, the'purpose of Vwhich will be shown later. Within. the piston 31, diametrically opposed slots 33 are.formed,`in.which.dogs I3 are pivotally -mounted, designed to operate the 'rodsr 8,' .connected to leaves 1. The top of case .I8 is openfor `the thrust of thebladeA` andthe upper. portion of the stem 9, .abottomannular member 34 is threadably fastened-@inside of the bottom .ofv the case, by means Oithread3 3.5.; The stationaryi'part 29"4 gof the slidably extendable hollow stemis threadablyiastened into an opening in the bottom annular member j34 by threads v35.. lInthewall of the` case I8 are twoholesor ports, port 23 being located nearthe bottom of the case `and port I2, directly above-port 23 and near the top of the. larger portion of theca'se, designed to admit compressed' airprfother cornpressed fluid into eitherend of the case,l at the will ofthe operator. A metal tube 25 is slidably mounted by clamps I6 and 2|, to the outside of the case, directly outside of the ports I2 and 23. Two enlarged places II and 22 on tube 2S have openings therein, adjacent the oase and are designed to admit air into the case, through ports I2 and 23 as required, the air being supplied through a hose 38, connected to the lower end of tube 26, the tube being moved to the position desired by pressure against knob I9. 11j f' In the operation; of theirnproved device, the upper end of case I8 as shown in Figure 4, is

Lpressed against the throat of the animal, at the place where the wound is to be made, the operator then presses the knob I9 to place the tube erting aforce against the piston 31 of the slidably/extendable hollow stem, which causes the upper portion to be suddenly extended above the case, jandthe=blade I will enter the' lesh'of the animal land'under th-e guidance of a skilled sticker,A will sever thethroat arteries, therebylkilling the'animal. When part 9 moves upward, the air then contained within the case, above the piston 31 will be forced out of the case, 'through port l2, and thevalve 4 willbe liftedA from the valve seat 28, thereby releasingv the action ofthe -vacuum at the same instant that the blade enters theflesh of f the animal.Vv When' part -9has al-v most-completed its movement, the dog'sfI3 en# gage thelugsIII-'and are 'caused to rotate and 'to the position shown in Figure 4, 'causing the air to rush into the case, through port |21 and the force exerted against the piston 31, 'formed on the lower portion of part 9, will cause part 9 to move downward, thereby withdrawing `the blade I and returning thelupper portion of part 9, the blade I, the hinged links S'an'd leaves A1 and the projections 32, lto the inside of the case." When the movable part 9 starts downward, thedogs |3, then being engaged in the nicks I5, will rotate,

'puuing l,:iownwam on rods' s; drawing-the unks 5.andY-1eaves 1 into the slots 6, 'frernovingthe pr jections 32 from thewalls of the wound into vthe slots 3|, in which position thevlinks Sand leaves 1 and. the projections 32 will be drawn into the case IB'without catching on lthe upperedgeof the case.\"1'-herelation of the end ,I3a'of the dog I3 to the nick I| 5 is such that afterV the retractile4 -cleaning,.by,` removing the anular member. 3|3and the tube 20when the parts (of the devic'efarev'in the relation indicated infFigure 4,' Then the movable member!) and its associated "partsmay beremoved 4 e o, j. 1i I Yam aware that /priorto my .invention,'devices have been made designed to'be used inconnecition with a method and apparatus for removing blood from animals in process of slaughtering, invented by me and patented September 12, 1922 under Patent No. 1,428,672. I therefore do not claim such combination broadly, but I claim:

1. In a slaughtering device, the combination of a casing adapted to be held by an operator, a cylinder slidably mounted within the casing, an annular bottom member fixed to the lower end of the casing, a tube within the cylinder attached to the annular member, a knife blade mounted on the upper end of the cylinder, means pivotally attached to the walls of the cylinder, and an annular piston formed on the bottom of the cylinder, adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure to move said cylinder and position the first named means projecting outwardly from the walls of the cylinder or in alignment therewith, whereby the cylinder may be fully extended so as to maintain the blade in a Wound made thereby and to maintain the blade within the casing when the firstnamed means has been moved to aligned position with the walls of the cylinder.

2. In a slaughtering device, the combination of a stationary casing, an annular member at the lower end thereof, a cylinder slidably mounted therein and having oppositely disposed longitu inally extending slots at the upper end thereof, links pivoted within the slots, leaves connected to the links and adapted to be positioned within the slots, a tube within the cylinder attached to the annular member, a valve arranged within the upper end of the cylinder, a valve-seat formed on the upper end of the tube, means for moving the valve out of the valve-seat, said means including a piston slidably mounted within the casing and around the tube and having rods pivotally connected to the leaves, dogs connected to the lower ends -of the rods and attached to the piston, said casing having lugs and recesses near the upper ends of the walls thereof to engage the dogs, and means whereby fluid pressure may be applied to the piston to cause movement thereof relative to the casing, whereby the cylinder may be moved and maintained in an outwardly exposed or inwardly confined position relative to the casing.

3. In a slaughtering device, the combination of a stationary casing, an annular member at the lower end thereof, a cylinder slidably mounted therein having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending slots at the upper end thereof, links pivoted within the slots, leaves connected to the links and adapted to be positioned within the slots, a tube within the cylinder attached to the annular member, a knife blade mounted on the upper end of the cylinder, a valve arranged within the upper end of the cylinder, a valve-seat formed on the upperend of the tube, means for moving the valve out of the valve-seat, thrusting the blade into the flesh of the animal and for thrusting the 'points of the leaves into the walls of the Wound formed by the blade, saidl means including an annular piston, formed on the bottom of the cylinder, slidably mounted within the casing and around the tube, and having rods pivotally connected to the leaves, dogs connected to the lower ends of the rods and attached to the piston, said casing having lugs andrecesses near the upper ends of the walls thereof to engage the dogs and means whereby fluid pressure may be applied to the piston to cause movement thereof relative to the casing, whereby the cylinder may be moved and maintained in an outwardly exposed or inwardly confined position relative to with sharp scissors-like edges, pivoted withinther slots, leaves, with sharp scissors-like edges, connected to the links and an annular piston formed on the bottom of the cylinder radapted to be actuated by a iiuid pressure to move said cylinder and position said leaves and links projecting voutwardly fr-om the slots in the walls of the cylinder or draw them into the slots, in alignment with the cylinder with a shearing action.

' 5. In a slaughtering device, the combination of a stationary cylindrical casing partially closed at its upper end by an annular integral closure and partially closed at its lower end by a separate annular closure, a stationary inner cylindrical tube secured to the last named annular closure and spaced from and within the walls of the cylindrical casing, a cylinder slidably mountedV within the casing and on the outer surface of the stationary tube, said tube having a valveseat at its upper end, said cylinder having a corresponding valve at its upper end and an integral annular piston at its lower end., said cylin-` der having oppositely disposed longitudinally exends of the walls thereof to engage the dogs, and

means whereby fluid pressure may be applied to the piston to cause movement thereof relative to the casing, whereby the cylinder-may be maintained in an outwardly exposed or inwardly concealed position relative to the casing.

JOHN ALLISON WILSON. f 

